Skilling back in the news for public intoxication / Lawyer points out difficulties for ex-CEO

Kristen Hays, Tom Fowler, Thomas Korosec, Houston Chronicle

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, September 21, 2006

Photo: PAT SULLIVAN

Image 1of/1

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 1

** ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND JUNE 3-4** FILE **Former Enron executive Jeffrey Skilling, right, and his attorney Daniel Petrocelli talk with the media outside the federal courthouse after the prosecution rested its' case in week nine of his fraud and conspiracy trial March 28, 2006 in a Houston file photo. TNow that Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay and former Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling are felons, the string of ex-executives whose testimony helped the government snag those convictions face punishments of their own. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File)
Ran on: 06-04-2006
Jeffrey Skilling (right) and attorney Daniel Petrocelli talk with the media during Skilling's trial. ** ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND JUNE 3-4**MARCH 28, 2006 FILE PHOTO less

** ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND JUNE 3-4** FILE **Former Enron executive Jeffrey Skilling, right, and his attorney Daniel Petrocelli talk with the media outside the federal courthouse after the prosecution rested its' ... more

Photo: PAT SULLIVAN

Skilling back in the news for public intoxication / Lawyer points out difficulties for ex-CEO

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

2006-09-21 04:00:00 PDT Dallas -- Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling was arrested and accused of public intoxication in Dallas earlier this month, but he will not go to jail early for violating the terms of his $5 million bond.

Skilling was not drinking when he was arrested and did not resist arrest, according to the report.

A jury convicted Skilling in May of 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading and lying to auditors in the government's foremost case to emerge from its Enron investigation after the company's 2001 crash. He plans to appeal.

LATEST BUSINESS VIDEOS

Is This the End of Candy Hearts? America's 'Oldest' Candy Company Could CloseBuzz 60

Nike to Investigate Workplace Behavior, Announces President will ResignWibbitz

Goodyear Presents New Tire Technology Designed for Electric VehiclesAutomotoTV

This Is The Best Restaurant Chain in AmericaBuzz 60

The First Synthetic Plastic Was RevolutionaryTimeline

President Trump Just Killed Broadcom’s Proposed Takeover of QualcommFortune

The 1950s Single Mom Who Redesigned American Car InteriorsTimeline

Millennial Habits May Soon Bring An End to Passwords New Study ShowsVeuer

He faces 20 to 30 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing Oct. 23.

Public intoxication is a Class C misdemeanor, subject to a fine of up to $500 but no prison time. He was assessed a $385 ticket and was held briefly in a city jail.

Skilling reported his arrest to pretrial services the next day, said Daniel Petrocelli, Skilling's lead attorney. The incident was investigated and the court required him to increase the frequency of his visits with mental health and alcohol treatment counselors.

Petrocelli said Wednesday that his client "is doing the very best he can to deal with a nearly impossible situation."

He was arrested in the swanky Uptown neighborhood north of downtown Dallas. It includes the relatively new West Village development, a collection of restaurants, bars, boutiques and a movie theater.

Skilling was staying at a townhome he owns a little more than a mile away from where he was arrested.

Skilling, 52, has had another alcohol-related run-in with the law since he was indicted.

In April 2004, he got into a scuffle with patrons of a cigar bar in New York City after a night of drinking. He wasn't arrested, but he and his wife, Rebecca, who was hurt during the scuffle, were transported to a hospital where a blood test showed Skilling's blood-alcohol level to be 0.19.

Prosecutors pounced, asking a judge to increase his $5 million bond to $7 million, restrict his travel to Texas and impose a curfew. They argued that Skilling violated his bond's terms by drinking excessively and failing to report his contact with police to federal pretrial services authorities.

U.S. Magistrate Frances Stacy in May 2004 declined to raise the bond but ordered Skilling to stop drinking, join an alcohol abuse treatment program, adhere to a curfew and perform community service because he wasn't working. Skilling did his community service for Habitat for Humanity in Houston.